Thames Path Ultra Challenge

Before you make plans

Shorter options exist, including about 25 km. Those are not in the distance filter. “Flat” is the organiser’s description, and the ascent figures on their pages do not match.

A weekend with more than one start line

The event page checked on 3 October 2026 lists 11 to 12 September 2027, from Putney Bridge towards Henley-on-Thames, with 100 km, 75 km, 50 km and 25 km options. You can walk, jog or run. The full route is also offered as one continuous challenge or split over two days.

One summary on that site prints 100 km and 350 m of climb. The factsheet prints about 100 m for the full distance. Both pages describe the route as flat by the standards of this series. Use the figure attached to the package you enter, and do not treat either number as a mountain profile.

The 25 km option is part of the weekend. It is not an ultramarathon, so it is not in our distance filter. Putney to Henley is the full route. Shorter packages start and finish in different places. Your train depends on which one you bought.

Self-fund and charity places are different contracts

On the sign-up page, self-funding means you pay online and there is no fundraising target. The fees listed were £199 for the full challenge, £169 for about 75 km, and £139 for about 50 km. A platform booking fee of 4% applies.

The charity option is a smaller registration fee and a minimum the charity must receive: £50 and at least £575, £45 and at least £475, and £40 and at least £375 on that page. At least half of the target should be with the charity three weeks before the event. The rest is due four weeks after. Missing the first deadline can mean the charity cancels the place. Series partners can reduce the registration fee. Tick the charity category you mean.

You must be 18 or over on the day for the full challenge and the three-quarter distance. The page sets a lower minimum for the shorter options, and says under-18s need an adult participant with them.

The clock depends on how you say you will travel

The options page gives separate finish windows for runners, joggers and walkers, rather than one cutoff for the whole field. Read the window for the pace you select. There is also an Ultra March category for walkers aiming at a stated time, and a Trailblazer category for runners with a time goal.

Support is the point of this series: marked route, food and drink, and people on the course. That is a different day from a self-navigated mountain race. It is still a long way on a hard surface. Flat does not mean short.